


The Secrets We Keep.

by Web0741



Category: Airwolf
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26677864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Web0741/pseuds/Web0741
Summary: The truth will come out. Strings secret phobia, and Caitlin’s culinary ability.
Kudos: 7





	The Secrets We Keep.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Airwolf and her characters belong to someone else. They’ve not used them in years so sometimes I like to dust them off and play.

He was standing in the middle of the lounge holding the long list Cait had handed him in his left hand and scratching his head with the right. He looked confused.

_“No wonder she’s late every morning.”_

Now String it’s not complicated,” she walked past him carrying a basket of clean and pressed clothes from the kitchen through to the bedroom. 

She rummaged through the basket, finding her favourite jeans and packing them in the case. “ The orchids in the kitchen get watered on Wednesday, just a little in the saucer underneath each plant.” 

String pursed his lips and squinted through the hatch to the kitchen. “Remind me, which ones are the orchids again?”

She looked up from her packing, staring at him through the bedroom door and huffed.”We’ll go through it again in just a ... oh, hairspray!” She ran to the bathroom and grabbed the can from the shelf before running back to the bedroom and putting it in her case. Satisfied she had everything she closed the case and carried it to her lounge.

Pursing her lips, She looked at Hawke and sighed. Could she really trust him with her plants for a week and a half?

“Once more then?” She smiled at him, trying hard to retain her patience.

“ Uh yeah.. I think…” 

“OK, balcony. Tomatoes and zucchini, water every day, morning and evening. Put 2 capfuls of the red plant food in the water on Friday morning.”

The red plant food?” He looked around the balcony. “Where do you keep it?”

She rolled her eyes. “Under the kitchen sink, next to the trash can.”

Uh.. yeah.. hang on, I need to write that down.” He pulled a pencil from his shirt pocket, licked it once and scribbled on the list.

“Ready to move on to the lounge?” Cait enquired.

“Um.. spider plants and tradescantia.” He looked at her puzzled. “ What in hell is a tradescantia?” 

Cait exhaled deeply and picked up a trailing plant from the book case. “This one? Purple and green leaves.”

He added another note to the list. “So they just need the saucers topped up? Nothing else?”

Cait sighed. “ All the rest of the plants in here are either succulents or cacti. They don’t, I repeat DO NOT, need watering at all.” She shot him a look that spoke more than the words that followed. “ Don’t you dare water anything else in here at all. Understand?”

Hawke nodded.

“Good. Now bathroom.” Cait headed toward it, and String followed. 

“ Two ferns on the windowsill and one on the cabinet. Use this..” she grabbed a small silver container from the windowsill. “ To mist them like this” she demonstrated pushing the plunger down. “Unscrew here to refill with water. And mist DAILY. I usually just shower and that keeps them moist enough.’

Hawke grinned. “ oh the mental image…”

Her brow furrowed “What?”

He laughed “ you naked in the shower with all your houseplants”.

Her cheeks flushed “Hawke I don’t..” she slapped him playfully across his shoulder “... you rat you. They just need a damp atmosphere that’s all, I don’t take the damn plants in the shower with me. Kitchen plants next. Follow me.”

“ Bossy aren’t you?” He muttered. She glared back at him. If looks could kill that one would have and he held his hands up in mock surrender. “ Just remember who’s doing who a favor here?”

The kitchen needed tidying before she left. She picked up the small trash can beside the sink where she put food scraps. And turned to Hawke. “String would you mind? Can you put this in the wormery on the balcony?”

He stared at her blankly. “Wormery?” 

“Yeah, on the balcony, small black bucket, open the lid and spread the scraps on top.” She glanced at him. He still looked confused. “The wormery turns food waste into soil. It saves me money.” She grinned, “Dom doesn’t pay me enough to support my plant habit. It makes great compost.”

“OK.” He took the pail out to the balcony, glancing at the contents on the way. It was full of egg shells and bits of zucchini. She heard a small shriek from the balcony, and then Hawkes footsteps returning to the kitchen.. “Cait is it supposed to be so full of…” He gulped and continued in a hushed voice”... worms?”

She was pulling the trash out from under the sink. Her voice echoed in the cupboard. “String what the hell did you think would be in a WORMERY?” She stood up as she emphasised the last word and turned to face him. “Honestly, are you scared of a few…” she saw the pallor of his complexion,his wide eyes and snorted as she tried to stifle a giggle. “... Oh my God”. She gasped. “You ARE scared of worms!” This was a new one on her, the tough guy Vietnam veteran and ace combat pilot was clearly terrified of worms. She was struggling to keep a straight face and it was Hawkes turn to flush with embarrassment .

“”But you fish?” Her voice came out as an oddly strangled squeak. “ I mean… what do you use for bait?”

“ Maggots Cait, I use maggots for bait.” he muttered angrily, “I know how stupid it is but, I’ve always had a phobia about those slimey, wriggly…. “ he pulled a sour face. “ … foul creatures. Just.. don’t make me do that again!”

“I promise, l won’t.”She choked down the laughter rising in her throat. “String, put the kettle on and make coffee. I’m just going to take the trash down to the dumpster.” She grabbed a couple of cans from the drainer and an empty flour bag from the counter along with the bag she was already holding and fled out the door. Half way down the steps she could contain herself no longer, sitting down she laughed until her ribs hurt. 

Cait had been gone a long time. String could guess why. He wasn’t quite sure if he should be angry that she knew his embarrassing secret. Hell not even Dom knew! And if he was angry should he be angry with himself or with Cait. 

The kettle boiled with a loud whistle. He turned the gas off and hunted for the jar of instant coffee. 

Christ she had lots of stuff in her cupboard. Flour, sugar, more spices and herbs than you could shake a stick at. For someone who professed a complete inability to cook she sure as hell had a lot of ingredients.

Ha! there it was hiding behind the sugar. He put the jar on the counter and put the flour and sugar back

Now mugs and spoons. He glanced round and spotted what he wanted at the back of the drainer. Two mugs, hiding behind a measuring jug and under a baking tin. He picked up the baking tin and stared at it thoughtfully. Had she been lying to him and Dom?

Was there more evidence? The kitchen scraps and the empty flour bag were part of it, but was there more? He looked around. The cork board on the wall. Phone numbers.

Her Moms, her sisters, Santini Air, her Doctors and a number with no name beside it. That number was familiar and he was sure it would come to him soon.

A letter from Caits Mom. With no trace of compunction he un-pinned the letter and read.

_“Hi sweetheart_

_we’re so looking forward to your visit next week. Your father’s got lots of plans for you and your brothers. I’m sure hoping we can fit in a girly chat, I really want to know more about this new boy you’re sweet on._

_Anyhow, here’s the recipe for tomato cake you wanted. Your father loved that Zucchini bread. He’s hoping you’ll make one and bring it with you._

_Have a safe trip_

_Love Mom.”_

“YES!” He said it out loud, thumping the air with his fist still clutching the tin. “Gotcha!” He smirked.

He’d wondered why she needed such a large purse. It was sitting open on the kitchen table. Glancing in he could see a large rectangular lidded tin in the bottom, no doubt containing said zucchini bread.

Placing the tin on the kitchen table, he pinned the letter back on the cork board, made two cups of coffee and waited for Cait to return. He didn’t have long to wait. 

She breezed into the kitchen, still grinning. “Great!” She exclaimed, picking up the mug in front of the empty chair, and depositing the trash can by the sink. “ Just what I needed! Thank you String.” She looked across and saw his face set like stone, and the baking tin on the table. Her face fell. “Ah.” She grinned sheepishly. “Secret’s out then?”

He glared at her. “ You lied to me and Dom. You told us your Mom baked cakes, and you told me you can’t cook.”

Cait rolled her lower lip over her teeth and glanced down. She pulled out the empty chair and sat in it. “ I didn’t lie String.” Her voice was quiet and calm. “You asked me if I knew how to cook trout and I said no.” The corners of her mouth curled into a mischievous grin as she leant forward in her seat, studying his face as she spoke. “ I have never cooked a trout and you didn’t ask me about any other kind of cooking.” She saw the corners of his mouth twitch as realisation dawned. Leaning back slightly she continued. “ Mom bakes. I just didn’t mention that … “ she paused while she picked up the tin. “... I do too.” 

He looked at her for a long moment before a smile spread across his face, and he laughed loudly. “ but why the big secret? I mean Dom loves those cakes you bake.”

“Yes! And that is EXACTLY why I don’t want him to know.” Hawke looked puzzled.

“String, if Dom knew I baked, he’d want a cake every damn day of the week!”

“I guess you have a point.” He conceded with a shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t suppose you’ve got anything to go with this coffee?” He grinned.

“Chocolate chip cookies?” She reached for a tin on the shelf above the table.

“Homemade?”

“Of course!”

They finished their coffee and cookies in companionable silence.

“String?” It was a question, not a statement.

“Uhuh? He still had a mouthful of cookie.

She thought for a moment. “ Promise you won’t tell Dom?”

He chuckled “What if I did?”

Her eyes flashed briefly with mischief. She leaned across the table and met his gaze. “ I’ll tell him about the worms.” She whispered.

He looked horrified. “ You wouldn’t…”

She snorted.. “ I would.”

He studied her face, and grinned. “So I guess we keep each other’s secret then don’t we?”

He picked up the empty cups and took them to the sink. “Last questions Cait, I promise, then I’ll take you to the airport.”

“Fire away String.” She grabbed a cloth to wipe the table.

"Why have you got Michaels number on your wall? Who is your new beau? And which of these damn plants are orchids?"

He looked at her and smirked. "Can I assume we're going to be here a while longer?"

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
